The heavenly bodies affect not only a person, but also all living beings. Sometimes people underestimate the influence of the Moon on themselves, but scientists have already proven this fact several times.
This article is for people over 18 years of age.
Have you already turned 18?
How the Moon affects the Earth: an interesting reality
Probably, each of us heard something like: on a full moon there are more crimes, many babies are born, and so on. On the one hand, these are just mystical facts that cannot be confirmed scientifically, but on the other hand, does the Moon really affect a person? They say that knowledge of the lunar calendar can greatly simplify people's lives, protect them from many diseases and ailments. Believe it or not, it's a personal matter for every person.
WITH scientific point vision, everything looks like this: when the gravitational field of the Earth and the Moon interacts, there are magnetic storms that affect the psyche and well-being of people. The satellite revolves around the Earth, and the closer it is to our planet, the more noticeable its influence.
Have you noticed that on some days of the month you wake up full of strength and energy, happy, content with life, and on some days you can hardly get out of bed, without a mood, with a headache, unrealistically tired. Often there are no special reasons for such a state of health, but if you carefully observe this, you can easily notice that the mood, the state of health changes cyclically.
Especially the heavenly body affects a woman, more precisely, the female body, because the fair sex is more malleable to the lunar cycles.
The waning moon is a favorable period to analyze your actions, reflect on mistakes. It is at this time that it is advised to go on a diet, fight chronic diseases, and get rid of excess. When the Moon is in the waning phase, the body itself tries to get rid of diseases, and if you actively help it in this, the result will be simply amazing. You can treat your teeth, agree to surgery, start to follow the diet, do physical activity.
The moon also affects a person's sleep, for example, on a full moon, people sleep poorly, energy accumulates, stress and vulnerability appear. For some reason, women tolerate the full moon worse than men. Also, in the full moon phase, people tend to commit rash acts, accidents and crimes occur due to excess energy and frequent stress. During this period, it is not recommended to resolve conflicts, to start serious education of children. With regard to diseases, then on a full moon they are exacerbated, a person becomes more inclined to experience pain. The blood becomes a little thin, does not coagulate well, it is better to postpone the operation.
It is on the full moon that people become excessively tired, turn into pessimists, and lose interest in life.
When the new moon comes, people are weakened, morally exhausted. Men can be aggressive, nervous for no reason. When the moon begins to increase, then the energy will increase and increase. Reduce nervous tension, take care of yourself, do not get angry, because on the new moon there are most often heart attacks and strokes. On the other hand, this is the best period to give up bad habits.
The waxing moon is perhaps the most favorable period for various endeavors. A person at this time is full of strength, energy, is able to withstand high loads, usually the state of health during this period is stable and wonderful. The metabolism improves, there is a special flexibility and vitality. Astrologers recommend at this time to take care of yourself, undergo a course of cosmetic procedures, drink vitamins and so on.
Astrologers have also explained how the moon phase affects the hair. For example, if you decide to cut your hair, then do it during the waxing moon, because it greatly affects hair growth. As a result, the hair will be beautiful, the hair will grow back quickly, strengthen and get a healthy shine. To help your hair grow back more slowly and you don't have to run to the hairdresser often, update your hairstyle during the waning of the moon. Representatives say there is a logical explanation for this phenomenon. The moon affects the liquid, and human body consists of water. The growing phase of the moon promotes rapid blood flow to the hair follicles. Therefore, hair grows faster.
There are special horoscopes that explain in detail how the Moon affects Cancer, the zodiac sign of Pisces, Taurus, Aries and so on. A lot depends on what sign of the zodiac the moon is in.
The moon even affects the nibble of fish
Do not be surprised that experienced fishermen firmly believe that the success of fishing depends on the heavenly body. This is not a fiction, not a myth, but a fact that has already been confirmed in practice an uncountable number of times. The state of health of the fish directly depends on the phase in which the Moon is located, and accordingly the Moon also affects fishing. This fact should not be ranked among popular beliefs, because scientists have constantly researched and proved this phenomenon. Life processes in fish are now activated, then subside. Successful fishing, as well as excellent bite, can be predicted precisely by the Moon. But, one should not forget that weather conditions also have a huge impact on the inhabitants of the underwater world.
The full moon is the best time for fishing, the bite will be just great. The moon is very close to the earth, magnetic fields touch and relate to one another. When the moon is shining in full phase, the fish become very active, they are extremely excitable, they move quickly. The moon has an effect precisely on the gravity of the Earth, on water, on ebbs and flows, at sea. It has been scientifically proven that sea level depends precisely on the location of the moon and sun. The gravitational field of the luminary and our planet attracts water from huge reservoirs, it rises, the tide turns out, and then the ebb tide. It's just that in reservoirs such as lakes, rivers, this process is invisible, since there is too little water. But the tension of the water also depends on this celestial body, so it turns out that the fish bite more efficiently. Pisces need a light source, and moonlight is perfect for them. This is another reason why the underwater world is actively revitalized on a full moon. But during the new moon, the necessary light practically does not cut through the water column, and a period of so-called sleepy rest begins in the world of fish. This is a perfectly logical explanation. So, since you are planning to hunt for large fish, something like pike, walleye, make sure in advance that the time for fishing is favorable.
How does the moon affect the sun?
The sun and the moon are two heavenly bodies that are directly related to life on our planet. The luminaries have a very strong influence on people, but they themselves have very little in common. Consider the dimensions: the sun is 400 times larger than the moon. But both bodies are at such a distance that it seems to us that they are the same in size. That is why solar eclipses also exist. Often the Sun and the Moon interact with each other (namely, their gravitational fields), as a result of which the satellite of the Earth every year moves away from our planet by several centimeters.
And also, thanks to these space bodies, we can observe the change of day and night. Now, probably, no one doubts that the Sun, the Moon have a huge impact on the world of living organisms, including plants, animals, people. But what can I say, if these luminaries influence even the growth of mushrooms. It's no secret that mushrooms grow best after rain, in other words, after rainfall. But the weather is influenced not only by the Sun, but also by the Moon. After the new moon, in practice, more precipitation has been observed more than once, this is somehow connected with the fall of meteorites. It turns out that during the period of active growth of the moon, mushrooms and other fruiting bodies grow best.
As you can see, the Moon really has a huge impact on our planet. It constantly goes through an endless cycle of certain phases that astrologers have long studied and identified. So if you tend to believe horoscopes, don't ignore the lunar calendar either. Try to do everything right, on time, and then your health will always be consistently good.
There are many satellites in the solar system, but our war is unique. She has a huge impact on the Earth. Supports the stability of our world. This story is about how the Moon shaped our planet and determined its development. What would become of us if not for the moon? It seems natural to us that the moon shines from night time, being about 400 thousand kilometers from us. What if she was at a different distance? Closer or further. How would this change our world?
The moon is just a block of stone in the sky. But it moves huge volumes of water on our planet. There is massive movement on the west coast of Scotland every day. At high tide, 70 million tons penetrate sea water, and at low tide they flow back. This is what the moon can do.
The ebb and flow is the clearest evidence of the close relationship between the Earth and its satellite. But it is far from the only one. For people, the Moon has also become a desirable destination for travel. Forty years ago, twelve people did something that changed our attitude towards our closest space neighbor. "Romance" with the moon started in 1969, It was the era of "Apollo". Man first went to the moon. After that, within 4 years, the participants of five lunar expeditions followed. But since then hardly anyone has spoken about the Moon. Once it was a new "development horizon". Nowadays, most people find eccentricity. A few years ago, it was the favorite of the public, but now it is forgotten by everyone. But should we still be crazy about the moon?
The more we learn about our neighbor, the more amazing she turns out to be. The reason for hot flashes is strong gravitation. This is the most important force in the universe. It keeps us on Earth and prevents the Moon from leaving its orbit. But not only the Earth affects the Moon, in response, it involves the Earth's seas. The attraction of the Moon slightly lifts the ocean water, forming a bubble, and the movement of this “bubble” after the Moon, orbiting the Earth, causes the ebb and flow. The scale of the tides is determined by the distance to the Moon. If the Moon were a little closer, this bulge would be slightly higher. At low tide, the water would go further, and at high tide, it would rise higher, flooding the coastal lowlands. What would happen if the moon was much closer to the Earth?
The gravity acting on the Earth would be much larger. A huge tidal bubble appears. The water would roll over the islands. The cities would be flooded. And so all over the planet. And the Moon is to blame for everything. This may sound like a disaster movie script.
But let's turn our eyes to the distant past. 4.5 billion years ago. When solar system was still young, and the Earth did not yet have a moon. Our planet flew around the Sun alone, bombarded by comets, asteroids, as if in a giant cosmic billiards. Scars from such ancient blows are no longer to be found these days. Some of the trillions of debris flying through space have fused into something far more dangerous. It was the protoplanet Theia. The orbit of which led her to collide with the Earth. The blow to the young Earth was glancing. The cores of the planets merged together, and huge masses of molten rock were thrown into near-earth orbit. Since this substance was liquid, it easily gathered into a spherical object that became our Moon. Imagine this spectacle - the first moonrise over the Young Earth. Our planet has a neighbor. A molten planet whose orbit was only 22.5 thousand kilometers from the Earth. This radically changed the Earth.
The collision with Theia shattered the Earth, turned it inside out. Metals such as iron were freed from the core of the planet, and completely changed its base chemical composition... Methane, carbon monoxide and hydrogen were released into the atmosphere. This has transformed our planet. Thanks to these gases, life was born. The collision that gave birth to the Moon prepared the conditions for the emergence of life. But life did not appear immediately. The simplest single-celled creatures inhabited the Earth, only after 700 million years. And the moon played a key role again. As the Earth cooled, water vapor condensed and formed oceans. Due to the influence of the moon, tides occurred in these oceans.
One of the newest theories of the origin of life has led to this fact of great importance. Scientists believe that the tides were the impetus for the emergence of life on Earth. This is how it happened. By mixing substances present in the early oceans along with water, conditions are created in the tidal zone. Then the water evaporates. So the Sun dried the rocks at low tide. At high tide, the water will return and flood the rocks. Then ultraviolet irradiation occurs. And transformations begin in chemicals. Under these conditions, the wetting and drying caused by the hot flashes produced something remarkable. If you analyze this at the molecular level, then you can find two components of RNA (ribonucleic acid), It turns out that from these simple substances under such conditions, very complex molecules appeared. RNA, one of the fundamental components of living cells, may first have arisen thanks to the tides, controlled by the movement of the moon. The tidal zones were real chemical laboratories. As a result, bricks of RNA appeared in one of the bays, and RNA is life. As soon as the first living things appeared in the oceans, the process of evolution was launched.
17. Influence of the Sun and the Moon on terrestrial processes
Factors determining the solar influence on the Earth of the Sun and the Moon can be divided into two types. The first is constantly acting factors, which include the shape of the Earth, the gravitational and magnetic forces that determine the retention in orbit and the movement of the Earth around the Sun, the second is solar radiation, which is the main source of energy on the Earth, the relative position of the Earth, the Moon and the Sun.
The shape and size of the Earth are of great importance for the development of all geographic phenomena and processes on Earth. For example, the sphericity of the Earth causes uneven heating by the Sun. The greatest heating of the earth's surface occurs in the area between the tropics, where the angle of incidence of sunlight on the planet's surface during the year is the highest. In the direction of the poles, there is a gradual decrease in heat. This determines the general geographic zoning of the Earth and the formation of various natural zones.
In addition to the shape of the Earth, its mass, volume, and density are of great geographic importance. These parameters are associated with such properties of the Earth as the force of gravity, magnetic and thermal fields. Gravitational, magnetic and electric fields The earth is determined by its shape, size and material composition and, in turn, determine the properties and processes of the geographic envelope.
The mass of the Earth is 5.976 10 27 g, the volume is 1.083 10 12 m 3, and the average density is 5.518 kg / m 3. The composition of the Earth is dominated by iron: (34.6%), oxygen (29.5%), silicon (15.2%) and magnesium (12.7%).
The density of the earth varies with composition and properties rocks and depth from the surface. The average density of the Earth is 5.52 g / cm 3. In the center of the Earth, the density reaches 12-17g / cm 3 (12-17 thousand tons / m 3). The density of the upper layers of the Earth depends on the composition of the rocks composing them.
These parameters are associated with such properties of the Earth as the force of gravity, magnetic and thermal fields.
Gravity is the mutual attraction of two physical bodies that have mass. The forces of gravity hold the planets around the Sun, determine the spherical shape of the Earth and hold its atmosphere.
The Earth's magnetic field is similar to the magnetic field of a conventional rod, the ends of which have opposite magnetic poles, i.e. magnetic dipole. The points of intersection of a magnetic dipole with the earth's surface are called geomagnetic poles (north and south). Magnetic poles do not coincide with geographic ones, their position constantly changes over time. The zone of near-earth space, the physical properties of which are determined by the earth's magnetic field, is called the magnetosphere. It has an internal (at an altitude of 3-4 thousand km) and an external (22 thousand km) radiation belts.
As you know, the Earth rotates on its axis in the direction from west to east and at the same time around the Sun. The Earth makes a full revolution around its axis in 23 hours 56 minutes 4 seconds. This period of time is called a sidereal day. However, due to the fact that the Earth revolves around the Sun at the same time, the actual length of the day is somewhat longer. For convenience in practical use, it was decided to consider the average duration of a sunny day - 24 hours. The rotation of the Earth around its axis is associated with the change of day and night and many earthly processes.
The linear speed of the Earth's rotation is the distance traveled by any point on the Earth's surface per unit of time. Depending on the geographic latitude, it varies from 0 (at the poles) to 464 m / s (at the equator). In addition to the linear velocity, the axial rotation of the Earth also determines the angular velocity, which shows the angle of rotation of any point on the earth's surface per unit of time. It is the same for all latitudes of the Earth and is equal to 1 o in 4 minutes (15 o in one hour.). The angular velocity determines the magnitude of the Coriolis force, which affects the movement of water and air masses, undermining river banks, the direction of sea currents, etc.
Associated with the shape of the Earth and its rotation around its axis are such concepts as standard and local time, as well as date changes and the calendar. (Remember what time zones are, local time and standard time?).
Depending on the position of the Earth relative to the Sun, light belts are distinguished on the globe (Remember how many and what light belts are allocated on the Earth?)
The Earth has one natural satellite - the Moon. The moon has a braking effect on the speed of rotation of the Earth, which affects the magnitude of the Coriolis force and, first of all, on mobile media (water, air masses). Under the influence of the Moon and partly the Sun, the intensity of the Earth's processes changes, including tectonic processes (mountain building, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions), and the magnitude of its polar compression decreases. It has been proven that the Moon affects the biological rhythms on Earth, and through them, the health of humans and animals.
The intensity of the influence of the Moon on Earth processes depends on the relative position of the Earth, the Sun and the Moon and the phase of the Moon. Different shapes the parts of the Moon illuminated by the Sun that we see from the Earth are called the phases of the Moon. There are four of them: the new moon, when the moon is between the earth and the sun; the first and last quarter, when the Moon is visible from the Earth at an angle of 90 ° from the east and west of the Sun; full moon when the moon is in the opposite direction to the sun. (Remember from astronomy the duration of the lunar phases)
The influence of the Sun on terrestrial processes is determined by the phenomena occurring in the interior of the Sun, i.e. from solar activity. A huge amount of energy that the Sun emits into outer space is formed in its bowels as a result of the thermonuclear reaction of converting hydrogen into helium. Despite the fact that only one two-billionth part of this energy falls on the Earth, the Sun is the main source of energy for all processes taking place in the geographic envelope.
Signs of solar activity are sunspots, areas of increased brightness (torches) and explosive emissions of energy (flashes) on the surface of the Sun (Remember the reasons for their formation from astronomy). The increase in solar activity is reflected in the geophysical processes of the Earth. There are 11-year, 33-year and 98-year cycles of increased solar activity. During these periods, the influence of the Sun on the Earth increases.
Solar activity has a great influence on such terrestrial processes as auroras, magnetic storms, earthquakes, plant growth and productivity, reproduction and migration of insects, epidemics of human diseases (influenza, typhoid, cholera, etc.).
The influence of solar activity on the Earth's climate is extremely great. The streams of solar radiation intensifying during solar storms affect the ozone content in the upper atmosphere. This, in turn, changes the intensity of heat and moisture exchange on Earth.
One of the factors solar influence the "solar wind" - streams of protons and electrons that spread from the Sun in all directions - comes to the Earth. A very small part of the matter of the "solar wind" gets to the Earth, but its influence on the magnetic properties of our planet is enormous.
As you know from astronomy, all the planets of the solar system are in a state of gravitational interaction. The interaction of the Sun, Moon and Earth is seen in the example of the formation of tidal processes in the Earth's hydrosphere. The moon plays the main role in the formation of tides. The influence of the Sun, despite its enormous mass, due to its great distance (149.5 million km), is 2.71 times less than the influence of the Moon. Highest height The tide in the oceans is observed when the Earth, the Moon, the Sun are on the same line and their tidal forces are summed up. Such a tide is called syzygium (from the Greek syzygia - connection, conjugation). The smallest tide is quadrature (from the Latin guadratura - square shape), when the Moon and the Sun are at right angles to the Earth.
The beautiful and mysterious Moon thrilled the minds the most ancient thinkers long before the advent of modern astronomy. Legends were formed about her, storytellers glorified her. At the same time, many features of the behavior of the night luminary were noticed. Even then, people began to understand how the influence of the moon on the Earth is expressed. In many ways, for ancient scientists, it manifested itself in the management of some aspects of the behavior of people and animals, the impact on magical rituals. However, the Moon and its influence were considered not only from the point of view of astrology. So, already in the period of Antiquity, the relationship of the lunar cycle and tides was noticed. Today science knows almost everything about the impact of the night star on our planet.
General information
The moon is natural. It is at a distance of over 384 thousand kilometers from our planet. Moreover, the night star turns along a slightly elongated orbit, and therefore different time specified figure slightly decreases or increases. The Moon makes one revolution around the Earth in about 27.3 days. Wherein full cycle(from full moon to new full moon) takes just over 29.5 days. This discrepancy has an interesting consequence: there are months when the full moon can be admired not once, but twice.
Perhaps everyone knows that the night star always looks at the Earth with only one side of it. for a long time was not available for study. The rapid development of astronautics in the last century turned the tide. There is enough now detailed maps the entire lunar surface.
"Hidden" Sun
The influence of the moon on the Earth is noticeable in several natural phenomena... The most impressive of these is a solar eclipse. Now it is rather difficult to imagine the storm of emotions that this phenomenon caused in ancient times. The eclipse was explained by the death or temporary disappearance of the luminary through the fault of evil deities. People believed that if they did not perform certain ritual actions, they might never see sunlight again.
Today the mechanism of the phenomenon has been studied quite well. The moon, passing between the sun and the earth, blocks the path of light. Part of the planet falls into the shadow, and its inhabitants can observe a more or less total eclipse. Interestingly, not every satellite could do this. In order for us to periodically admire a total eclipse, certain proportions must be observed. Whether the Moon had a different diameter, or if it was located a little further from us, and from the Earth could only be observed partial eclipses daylight. However, there is every reason to believe that one of these scenarios will be realized in the distant future.
Earth and Moon: mutual attraction
The satellite, according to scientists, moves away from the planet every year by almost 4 cm, that is, over time, the opportunity to see a total eclipse will disappear. However, this moment is still very far away.
What is the reason for the lunar "escape"? It lies in the peculiarities of the interaction of the night star and our planet. The influence of the moon on terrestrial processes is primarily manifested in the ebb and flow. This phenomenon is the result of the action of attraction. Moreover, tides occur not only on Earth. Our planet in the same way affects the satellite.
Mechanism
The close enough location makes the influence of the moon on the Earth so noticeable. Naturally, that part of the planet is more strongly attracted to which the satellite has approached. If the Earth did not rotate around its axis, the resulting tidal wave would move from east to west, positioning itself exactly under the night star. The characteristic periodicity arises from the uneven impact on one or the other parts of the planet.
It leads to the fact that the tidal wave moves from west to east and is somewhat ahead of the movement of the satellite. The entire water column running slightly ahead of the night star, in turn, affects it. As a result, the Moon is accelerating, its orbit changes. This is the reason for the removal of the satellite from our planet.
Some features of the phenomenon
Even before our era, it was known that the "breath" of the ocean is caused by the Moon. The ebb and flow, however, were subjected to a particularly careful study much later. Today it is well known that the phenomenon has a certain periodicity. Full water (the moment when the tide reaches its maximum) is separated from low water (the lowest level) by about 6 hours and 12.5 minutes. After passing the minimum point, the tidal wave begins to grow again. During the day or a little more, thus, there are two ebb and flow.
It has been observed that the amplitude of the tidal wave is not constant. She is influenced by His the greatest value the amplitude reaches the full moon and new moon. Smallest value occurs in the first and last quarter.
Length of the day
The tidal wave generates not only the specific movement of ocean waters. The influence of the moon on earth processes does not end there. The resulting tidal wave constantly meets the continents. As a result of the rotation of the planet and its interaction with the satellite, a force arises that is opposite to the movement of the earth's solidity. The consequence of this is the slowing down of the Earth's rotation around the axis. As you know, it is the duration of one revolution that is the standard for the duration of the day. As the rotation of the planet slows down, the length of the day increases. It grows rather slowly, but every few years the International Earth Rotation Service is forced to slightly change the standard against which all clocks are checked.
Future
The Earth and the Moon have been affecting each other for about 4.5 billion years, that is, from the day of their appearance (according to a number of scientists, the satellite and the planet were formed at the same time). Throughout this period, as now, the night star was moving away from the Earth, and our planet slowed down its rotation. However, a complete stop, as well as a final disappearance, is not expected. The planet will continue to decelerate until its rotation is synchronized with the movement of the moon. In this case, our planet will turn to the satellite with one side and “freeze” like that. The tidal waves that the Earth causes on the Moon have long led to a similar effect: the night star always looks at the planet with “one eye”. By the way, there are no oceans on the moon, but there are tidal waves: they are formed in the crust. The same processes are taking place on our planet. Waves in the crust are subtle compared to movement in the ocean, and their effect is negligible.
Associated changes
When our planet synchronizes its motion with a satellite, the influence of the Moon on the Earth will be somewhat different. Tidal waves will continue to emerge, but they will no longer overtake the night star. The wave will be located exactly under the "hovering" Moon and follow it relentlessly. Then the increase in the distance between the two space objects will stop.
Astrology
In addition to physical impact, the Moon is credited with the ability to influence the fate of people and states. Such beliefs have very deep roots, and the attitude towards them is a personal matter. However, there are a number of studies that indirectly confirm this effect of the night star. For example, the media mentioned the data of analysts of one of the Australian banks. On the basis of independently conducted research, they assert the fact of a noticeable influence of the phases of the moon on the change in the indices of world financial markets. But the influence of the moon on fish in the course of a special study was not confirmed. However, such scientific research requires careful verification.
We can hardly imagine our world without the moon. It certainly would not have ebb and flow, and maybe life itself. According to one of the versions, its appearance on Earth became possible, among other things, due to the specific influence of the Moon, leading to a slowdown in the rotation of the planet.
Studying the influence of a satellite on Earth helps to understand the laws of the Universe. The interactions characteristic of the Earth-Moon system are not specific. The relationship of all planets and their satellites develops in a similar way. An example of the future that may await the Earth and its companion is the Pluto-Charon system. They have synchronized their movement for a long time. Both the one and the other are constantly addressing their "colleague" by the same side. A similar thing awaits the Earth and the Moon, but provided that the other factors affecting the system are unchanged, but this is unlikely in an unpredictable space.
The Moon and the Earth are so connected with each other that there is no doubt that if our planet did not have a natural satellite, the history of its development would be completely different, and life on it simply would not exist.
Let's start with the fact that the Moon, or as it is also called, Selena, has a direct impact on earth axis, enabling the Earth to maintain a tilt of 23 degrees, thanks to which favorable conditions for life were formed on our planet. This gives us the opportunity to see day and night approximately the same period of time throughout the day (for example, the angle of inclination of Uranus is almost 98 degrees, and therefore its poles have been in darkness for 42 years and the same number of them are constantly illuminated by the sun's rays).
In addition, the Moon in the sky daily slows down the rotation of our planet by a tiny microsecond - if it did not, the Earth would begin to rotate so quickly that soon a day would be equal to six hours, maybe even less. This would clearly affect the development of plants and animals, and also lead to an increase in the speed of air currents, as a result of which storms, tornadoes and hurricanes would become commonplace.
One of the most famous influences of Selena on our planet is its influence on the ebb and flow: if the Earth did not have a natural satellite, the tides would be several times stronger. The depth of the world ocean depends on the satellite of the Earth: it attracts water located in the equatorial region, because the depth of the ocean in the center of the Earth is much deeper than near its poles.
The moon is a natural satellite of the Earth, the diameter of which is almost 3.5 thousand km, and the length along the equator is about 11 thousand km (in area it is three and a half times smaller than our planet). Selena is located at a distance of 385 thousand km from the Earth, and therefore, after the Sun, it is considered the second brightest object in the sky. According to scientists, the satellite is at least four billion years old.
There are many versions of how exactly our planet got a satellite. One of them says that the Earth and the Moon were formed at the same time. Another suggests that Selena was formed at a great distance from our planet, and flying nearby, found itself in the zone of the Earth's gravity and could not "escape".
Recently, based on data obtained from the analysis of lunar soil samples, scientists have put forward new theory, which is currently accepted as the main one. We are talking about a giant collision, when more than 4 billion years ago, the protoplanet Earth (a large planetary embryo) collided with the protoplanet Theia, and the collision occurred not in the center, but tangentially.
Theia suffered more, which threw the bulk of its constituent elements into the earth's orbit, while the Earth allocated only a small fraction of the earth's mantle. Combined, these substances formed the embryo of the moon. It is worth noting that after the collision with Theia, our planet increased its rotation speed by five hours, changing the angle of the axis.
What does the Earth satellite consist of?
The surface of the Moon is completely covered by regolith, consisting of dust and the smallest meteorite fragments, which often fall on the surface of the Moon, which is unprotected by the atmosphere (the thickness of such a layer can vary from several centimeters to tens of kilometers). The Earth satellite itself consists of:
- Crust - it is very heterogeneous and ranges from zero meters under the Moscow Sea (it is separated from the lunar surface by a layer of basalt 600 m thick) to 105 km (under the Korolev crater, located in the dark hemisphere of the Moon). Although the Korolev crater is located with dark side The moon, a thicker layer is still located on the hemisphere visible to us;
- Three layers of mantle;
- Kernels.
Selena's invisible side
Since the period with which the satellite rotates around the Earth almost coincides with the time of its revolution around its axis, only one hemisphere of the satellite can be seen from the earth's surface, while the reverse side of the Moon is almost never visible. The only exceptions are the edges located on the eastern and western dark side of Selene. Once a month you can see the northern, and once every fifteen days - its southern edges (this makes it possible to observe from the Earth almost sixty percent of the satellite).
Before the advent of spacecraft, the far side of the moon was completely unexplored, and therefore, with the advent of the appropriate technology, scientists learned a lot about Selene, a lot of new and interesting things. For example, on its dark side, several new geological formations were discovered, indicating that seismic movements inside the satellite continued for at least 950 million years after, according to the version accepted at that time, the “geological death” of the Earth satellite occurred.
According to the data obtained, seismic activity on the satellite exists to this day, and ground movements often last about an hour. For five years of observations, about thirty such moonquakes were recorded lasting ten minutes and reaching 5.5 points on the Richter scale (on earth, such oscillations last no more than two minutes).
It was found that the surface of the dark hemisphere differs from that visible from Earth - there are a huge number of craters here, most of which arose as a result of falling meteorites, and is dominated by mountainous relief. But there are not many lunar seas here - only two: the Sea of Dreams and the Sea of Moscow.
Selene's relief
The surface of the Moon consists of mountain ranges and lunar seas - huge round-shaped lowlands, which were flooded at one time by the lava that came to the surface, and therefore they are all covered with a thick layer of basalt (because of this, they are characterized by a darker color than other parts relief). The largest lunar sea is the Ocean of Storms, with a length of about 2 thousand km.
Despite the fact that basically all the lunar seas are located on visible side Selene, it is on its reverse side that the largest shock depression, the South Pole - Aitken basin is located (from our planet you can only see its dark edge). Its dimensions are 2400 by 2050 km, and its depth is about 8 km, occupying almost a quarter of the satellite's hemisphere. This pool is interesting because it is in it that the lowest point of the Selene is located, and the distance from the lowest to the highest point is about 16 km.
Another interesting geological formation is a tunnel discovered near one of the volcanic plateaus, the Marius Hills, with a diameter of 65 m and a depth of about 80 m.It is clear evidence of the volcanic activity of Selene, since it was formed due to the solidification of flows of molten rock.
What does a satellite look like from Earth
The Earth and the Sun are constantly changing their location in relation to each other, the border between the illuminated and unlit parts of the lunar hemisphere is constantly shifting, so Selena changes its shape every day, forming different phases of the moon. One thing remains unchanged: the illuminated part of the satellite always points in the direction where the Sun is located. It is interesting that the synodic month on the satellite (the time that passes between two identical phases of the moon) is several days less than the earthly one, is unstable and on average lasts about 29.5 days.
Despite the fact that the Moon in the sky gives the impression that it shines by itself, in reality, the Moon's surface only reflects the sun's rays, so from the Earth you can see only the area illuminated by the Sun. It is believed that the Moon in the sky goes through certain phases, briefly described as "Waxing Moon" - "Full Moon" - "Waning Moon":
New moon
During the new moon, the dark moon is almost never seen. The exception is only a few minutes when it appears against the background of the Sun during a solar eclipse, or when two days before or after the new moon, in very good weather, a slightly marked grayish disk of the earth's satellite is shown in a clear sky.
During this phase of the moon, the satellite is not visible because it is located between the Earth and the Sun on almost the same line.
If they are located exactly on the same straight line, you can observe a solar eclipse, as the Earth's satellite begins to cast its shadow with a diameter of 200 km. The moon in the sky is located as close as possible to the sun, and the opposite side of the moon is deployed to the surface of our planet.
Young Moon
The new moon is visible in the sky for only a few minutes in the form of a narrow crescent and appears immediately after the sun sets on the third day after the new moon. After this phase, the new Moon begins to grow rapidly and with each subsequent night, everyone has the opportunity to start observing such a phenomenon as the growing Moon. It is interesting that in ancient times, the beginning of the lunar or solar month always began from the moment when a new moon appeared in the sky.
First quarter
On the seventh night after the new moon, the waxing moon appears in a semicircle in the west immediately after the sun goes below the horizon (usually it can be seen in the first half of the night). The waxing moon at this stage is located in the east and is in relation to the sun at an angle of 90 °. The sun's rays illuminate the western half of the moon and show people who are in the northern hemisphere, the right side of the moon, in the southern - the left.
At this stage of the moon phase, the waxing moon is already quite bright and the light it emits is quite enough for objects on the ground to start casting a shadow. Interestingly, when the waxing moon is at this stage, you can see the lowest rise at high tide and its lowest drop at low tide.
Full moon
On the fourteenth night, the waxing moon reaches its peak, as the sun begins to fully illuminate it - the full moon comes. The full moon is in the sky all night. It appears even before the Sun has completely set, and leaves the firmament after its rising.
At this phase, the full moon is opposite the sun, and the earth is in the middle (the full moon is always extremely bright due to the fact that the sun shines on the visible hemisphere, and the shadows on the lunar surface completely disappear). If the full moon, earth and sun are in the same line, you can observe a lunar eclipse.
Last quarter
Literally a day later, the full moon begins to thin out. Since this happens almost imperceptibly to the human eye, it seems that the full moon is visible in the sky for several nights. Already seven days after the full moon, the waning Moon again shows its half to earthlings. The waning moon is visible only in the second half of the night.
Old Moon
Having shown people at last its half, the night luminary becomes smaller, turns into a thin sickle, and then the dark Moon disappears altogether - and after a while the growing Moon reappears in the firmament.
Observer Memo
So that the observer does not confuse which phases of the moon are growing and which ones are waning, it is enough to remember the basic rule: if the Earth's satellite resembles the Latin letter "D" and is visible at the beginning of the night, there is a growing moon in the sky. If the sickle looks like the letter "C" and is shown before dawn, the waning Moon is in front of the beholder.